This research demonstrates how UK consumers interact with mail as it flows throughout the average household and provides advice for brands to make the most of this channel. View Summary

This research demonstrates how UK consumers interact with mail as it flows throughout the average household and provides advice for brands to make the most of this channel.

When commercial mail enters the home, it is often displayed in a dedicated area, passed around the residents and then remains in the household for between 17 to 45 days.

Physical mail has additional psychological effects, as people place value on things they can touch, receiving mail makes people feel more valued and the mail's actual physical properties can influence how people feel about the sender.

Consumers interact with mail in an instinctive, unconscious way, react differently when mail is part of a larger media mix and the best mail advertising helps keep the brand top of mind.

This article argues that digital advertising needs greater transparancy as advertisers allocate more of their budget to this channel and concerns are raised about viewability and fraud. View Summary

This article argues that digital advertising needs greater transparancy as advertisers allocate more of their budget to this channel and concerns are raised about viewability and fraud.

Issues of great concern include budgets being spent on middle-men, lost on non-viewable impressions and frequency inaccuracies.

'Transparency Manifesto' needs to be developed, including a series of questions to create a framework for digital advertisers.

3

Royal Mail: When touch makes a difference

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Simon Shaw and Matt Bright, MRS Awards, Finalist, December 2013

This report describes research conducted by Royal Mail, the UK postal delivery service, to understand what variables increase the effectiveness of direct mail. View Summary

This report describes research conducted by Royal Mail, the UK postal delivery service, to understand what variables increase the effectiveness of direct mail.

Five fake brands were created, and five direct mailings created for each, with progressively more physical features.

Three methodologies were used to test the effect of the mailings: in-home qualitative observation, biometric and neuroscience measurements, and self-completion questionnaires.

It was found that more physical features such as foiling, die-cutting, embossing and similar held consumer attention for longer and made it easier to understand.

It was also found that pre-existing interest in the category was important.

The research was used to create a new planning model for Royal Mail advertising services.

4

Direct mail: a premature obituary

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Drayton Bird, Admap, November 2007, Issue 488, pp. 33-35

In the UK direct mail volumes have been dropping, but in 2006 the medium still accounted for 12.2% of advertising spend. View Summary

In the UK direct mail volumes have been dropping, but in 2006 the medium still accounted for 12.2% of advertising spend. Email marketing is growing fast, but is still dwarfed by direct mail, both in U.S. and UK. In the U.S. in 2006, $59.6 billion was spent on direct mail, $4 billion up on the previous year: this compares with $70 billion on TV, $12 billion online, and $1.5 billion on email. While direct mail and email rank below only personal contact (face-to-face or telephone) in terms of effectiveness, it ranks above TV, radio and press. 'Effectiveness' is here considered in terms of five factors: individual impact, creative potential, interaction, cost per message delivered, and share of voice. Email's initial advantage over direct mail has greatly diminished because it is at least as intrusive as direct mail, perhaps more; there is far more of it; it is far quicker and easier to delete and spam filters emasculate most selling messages. Direct mail will be with us a long time - not least because of the advantages of media synergy.

5

New opportunities for old media?

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Paul Springer, Admap, October 2007, Issue 487, pp. 39-41

The rapid growth of online and digital advertising has led many to ask whether traditional mass communications like television commercials and direct mail have a future. View Summary

The rapid growth of online and digital advertising has led many to ask whether traditional mass communications like television commercials and direct mail have a future. However, it seems that both old and new platforms have a role, and are increasingly being used in combination, as both 'hot' (personal engagement) and 'cool' (mass media) platforms are complimentary. The creative techniques developed for each platform are also proving to be transferable.

6

The urging behind emerging media

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Joe Mandese, Admap, October 2007, Issue 487, pp. 8-8

In the continuing battle between direct response and brand-building as an agency philosophy, direct response (now renamed digital or performance marketing agencies) seem to be getting the upper hand, as agency managements promote the more digitally savvy. View Summary

In the continuing battle between direct response and brand-building as an agency philosophy, direct response (now renamed digital or performance marketing agencies) seem to be getting the upper hand, as agency managements promote the more digitally savvy. This is because the internet is the fastest growing major media, it yields better margins for the agency and it is perceived as being accountable. But, paradoxically, Brian Wieser from Interpublic thinks that traditional media will remain the dominant advertising force for some time, because new on-line media is growing at the expense of existing on-line media.

7

Royal Mail sees a bright future for direct marketing

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Alex Batchelor, Market Leader, Issue 37, Summer 2007, pp. 19-22

In this article, Alex Batchelor, marketing director at Royal Mail, talks to Judie Lannon, the Editor of Market Leader, about the opportunities direct mail offers and how Royal Mail is bringing a fresh... View Summary

In this article, Alex Batchelor, marketing director at Royal Mail, talks to Judie Lannon, the Editor of Market Leader, about the opportunities direct mail offers and how Royal Mail is bringing a fresh approach to marketing itself.

8

Direct mail: a warm welcome?

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David Jefferies, Admap, March 2007, Issue 481, pp. 51-53

Despite a reputation for being irritating and annoying, direct mail continues to attract growing expenditure while other budgets suffer. View Summary

Despite a reputation for being irritating and annoying, direct mail continues to attract growing expenditure while other budgets suffer. Using findings from Pitney Bowes survey of consumer opinion on direct mail across Europe, David Jeffries examines what consumers really think. He finds that direct mail is far less criticised than other media, and that well-targeted, well-produced direct mail is positively welcomed.

Using Psychological Reactance as the framework, this study sought to understand consumer attitudes towards two major direct marketing techniques: unsolicited commercial e-mail and postal direct mail. In particular, audience perceptions of advertising intrusiveness, perceived loss of control (as conceptualized by Psychological Reactance), and irritation regarding the direct marketing techniques were investigated. The results of this survey study (N=119) indicated that recipients perceived unsolicited e-mails as more intrusive and irritating than postal direct mail. This study contributed to the theory of Psychological Reactance by indicating that recipients did not feel a loss of control regarding spam, thus Psychological Reactance was not fully supported in the context of these marketing communication techniques. Suggestions for direct marketing practitioners conclude the paper.

10

What is the most cost-effective response medium?

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Andrew Green, Warc Media FAQ, August 2006

Before the internet, 'response' media comprised vehicles like print advertising with coupons, television commercials with a dedicated line to ring, direct mail and doordrops. View Summary

Before the internet, 'response' media comprised vehicles like print advertising with coupons, television commercials with a dedicated line to ring, direct mail and doordrops. Now with email as well as post, search marketing and online shopping, the marketing toolkit is greatly enhanced, but so has the complexity of trying to understand the effectiveness of individual media and mechanisms in isolation. This paper frames the issue via the three-stage 'awareness', 'search' and 'select' purchase process, with the latter two particularly relevant to direct response tactics. It also discusses the importance of defining the response to be measured (and costed) and the complications of untangling direct response from other marketing.

11

Declining the engagement

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Mike Colling, Admap, May 2006, Issue 472, pp. 27-29

Mike Colling, founder of MC&C, argues that the traditional view that strength of relationship between consumer and medium adds to advertising effectiveness is wrong when applied to direct response. View Summary

Mike Colling, founder of MC&C, argues that the traditional view that strength of relationship between consumer and medium adds to advertising effectiveness is wrong when applied to direct response. Using a variety of research sources he shows that higher direct marketing response rates are achieved in low commitment media and that impulse-based initial response can lead to strong brand loyalty.

Philip Kirk, head of the Media Development Team at Royal Mail, and Graham Spickett-Jones, from Hull University, describe new research designed to provide hard evidence of mail's capacity as a medium to deliver long term value - and make a strategic impact within an integrated plan. View Summary

Philip Kirk, head of the Media Development Team at Royal Mail, and Graham Spickett-Jones, from Hull University, describe new research designed to provide hard evidence of mail's capacity as a medium to deliver long term value - and make a strategic impact within an integrated plan. The research reviewed 31 campaigns run between 2002 and 2004 for fmcg brands - using test versus control samples to compare purchasing behaviour. The authors conclude that mail promotion creates a bond with consumers that does more that generate short term results.

13

Trends and developments beyond advertising

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Martin Thomas, Admap, April 2005, Issue 460, pp. 74-76

With the recent reissue of Lester Wunderman's 'Being Direct', Martin Thomas, a partner at Nylon, reflects on the insights and predictions of 40 years ago. View Summary

With the recent reissue of Lester Wunderman's 'Being Direct', Martin Thomas, a partner at Nylon, reflects on the insights and predictions of 40 years ago. He reveals that Wunderman's watchwords of 'personalisation' and 'participation' are continuing to shape marketing trends - via broadband up-take, CRM's development, interactive media and the mobile consumer.

14

Is consumer marketing irrevocably broken?

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Clive Humby, Admap, October 2004, Issue 454, pp. 119-121

Clive Humby, chairman and founder of dunnhumby, argues that the effectiveness of direct marketing campaigns needs to be looked at more carefully. View Summary

Clive Humby, chairman and founder of dunnhumby, argues that the effectiveness of direct marketing campaigns needs to be looked at more carefully. Mass-mailings that achieve response rates of 1% or 2%, ignore the (possibly detrimental) effects on the other 98%. Assessments of customer asset value, and better segmentation research over the longer-term must be addressed.

Based on a survey among 22 direct marketing experts and in-depth project experiences within automotive industry, the authors identify two key issues: first, when the success of direct marketing campaigns should be measured; and second, when the results of a campaign should be used for selecting the target group for a new campaign. View Summary

Based on a survey among 22 direct marketing experts and in-depth project experiences within automotive industry, the authors identify two key issues: first, when the success of direct marketing campaigns should be measured; and second, when the results of a campaign should be used for selecting the target group for a new campaign. As a solution to the latter, i.e. too few cases for learning a stable and accurate scoring model, we propose the semi-supervised modeling approach when selecting learning cases: an initial classifier is learned on the ideal participants from a previous campaign. This classifier is employed to select supplementary cases. This is a research technique that has been applied in other domains for several years, but thus far not in (direct) marketing.

This paper investigates the possibility of identifying clusters among consumers receiving sales flyers from retailers (supermarkets, etc.). First, flyers are defined and then consumers' perception of flyers is analysed, based on a representative panel. According to the analysis, three clusters are identified. The clusters possess quite different characteristics - not just in relation to their perceptions and attitudes towards flyers, but also when looking at demographic characteristics.

Mike Colling identifies eight key issues which he considers necessary when budgeting for direct response marketing. He discusses objectives, targeting, product type and the implications of market maturity. He examines respondent's reactions to media promotions by age and social class and shows how there has been improvement in response to direct marketing by those who leave full time education later in life. He outlines a proposed enquiry system for telephone calls and summarises it by stating that as media proliferation increases and technology improves then the opportunities for direct response advertising will continue to improve.

18

The contribution of direct mail advertising to average weekly unit sales

This article examines the contribution of direct mail advertising to average weekly unit sales of a national fast food franchisee. View Summary

This article examines the contribution of direct mail advertising to average weekly unit sales of a national fast food franchisee. Two different types of direct mail advertising are used, both independently and in conjunction with local and national advertising. Results of a field study indicate that one type of direct mail (a shopper) contributes significantly to sales when used independently. When combined with national or local advertising, however, the contribution level of this shopper decreases. Conversely, a direct mail insert combined with many others inserts into one single envelope is much more powerful when utilized in conjunction with national advertising. In fact, results show that this latter combination of direct mail with national advertising contributes more to average weekly unit sales than any other combination. Implications are offered and future research is suggested.

The authors present an innovative way to deal with a frequent practical problem in CRM and direct marketing projects: the lack of cases with known target behavior. View Summary

The authors present an innovative way to deal with a frequent practical problem in CRM and direct marketing projects: the lack of cases with known target behavior. Usually, this makes learning scoring models that can be utilized for selecting the target group of a new campaign infeasible. The approach presented resorts to auxiliary target variables whose nature is derived through analogous induction and whose similarity can be calculated by using odds ratio and Euclidian distance. We will illustrate how the methodology works on a practical example taken from the automotive industry.

20

When neutral is your fastest gear

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Tim Rivett, Admap, January 2003, Issue 435, pp. 16-18

This is a piece on direct mail by Tim Rivett of Royal Mail. The article centres on the concept of media neutrality and the part that direct mail has to play. View Summary

This is a piece on direct mail by Tim Rivett of Royal Mail. The article centres on the concept of media neutrality and the part that direct mail has to play. He traces UK expenditure on direct mail since 1990 broken down into business and consumer spend and argues that direct mail has much to offer in the new era of customer communication. The breakdown between postage and production costs is also analysed. The author argues that mail order provides clear benefits when there is a need to focus on the 20% of customers who provide 80% of profits. He makes a plea to bridge the chasm between attitudes and behaviour and asks for co-operation from all parties - media, researchers and clients.

21

Going direct

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Admap, January 2003, Issue 435, pp. 15-15

An article which introduces four features on direct marketing. It reminds readers that direct marketing has been the great advertising phenomenon of the last twenty years. View Summary

An article which introduces four features on direct marketing. It reminds readers that direct marketing has been the great advertising phenomenon of the last twenty years. The growth should be seen in the context of fragmentation of other media. It discusses the various of aspect of direct marketing covered in the articles which follow this piece including direct mail, loyalty cards, direct response TV, interactive TV and database marketing.

22

Direct Marketing

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Roderick White, Admap, September 2002, Issue 431, pp. 14-15

This best practice article provides on overview of the direct marketing industry. It defines the two key elements of the medium - direct contact (mail, telemarketing etc) and direct response (media advertising). View Summary

This best practice article provides on overview of the direct marketing industry. It defines the two key elements of the medium - direct contact (mail, telemarketing etc) and direct response (media advertising). The piece also explains the other fundamental distinction - recruitment (looking for new customers) and relationship building (developing the contact after a response). The article lists and describes the four main elements of direct marketing - (1) a clear understanding of the features and benefits of the product on offer; (2) identification of the target customer; (3) understanding the customer; (4) a contact programme. Lists, databases, contact strategies, creativity; testing (which is considered to be at the heart of direct marketing) and legal constraints are all described and discussed.

The Internet makes it easier to break target groups down to the level of 'one to one' marketing. Although this marketing dream is definitively a technical possibility, in practice it appears to be very difficult. View Summary

The Internet makes it easier to break target groups down to the level of 'one to one' marketing. Although this marketing dream is definitively a technical possibility, in practice it appears to be very difficult. People do not like to be approached uninvited via e-mail and the effect of commercial e-mail campaigns is unclear, however well targeted they might be. It is in this context that TPG Post, the Dutch-based (international) postal services company, decided to develop the E-mail Monitor in cooperation with Pro Active International. As the focus of this paper is on consumer behaviour, the authors have targeted the first stage of the E-mail Monitor, which is used to determine what combination of mail and e-mail can best be used to achieve the desired effect.

24

Admap Direct Bondage is Best

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Tom Rayfield, Admap, May 2002, Issue 428, pp. 10-10

Tom Rayfield's piece centres on the importance to brands of emotional loyalty and the work in this area by Garth Hallberg the author of 'All Consumers Are Not Created Equal' and a contributor to the Ogilvy Loyalty Index. View Summary

Tom Rayfield's piece centres on the importance to brands of emotional loyalty and the work in this area by Garth Hallberg the author of 'All Consumers Are Not Created Equal' and a contributor to the Ogilvy Loyalty Index. The article discusses the profit building advantages of Differential Marketing which helps to build brand loyalty and sales by creating the highest level of emotional loyalty among the brands most valuable customers.

25

Admap Direct: Don't Stop Spending Now! (Phone 08457 950 950 Instead)

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Tom Rayfield, Admap, April 2002, Issue 427

Tom Rayfield gives a glowing report on a mail shot he received from Royal Mail. The piece advocates maintaining marketing budgets during an economic downturn. View Summary

Tom Rayfield gives a glowing report on a mail shot he received from Royal Mail. The piece advocates maintaining marketing budgets during an economic downturn. The package has three components:- a brochure, a white paper from John Billet of BCGM and five case histories, for HSBC, Logica, Land Rover, Guinness and Bird's Eye. He comments that at least one part of Royal Mail is trying very hard.